Friday, December 12, 2014

Friday Fricassee

Winding up for Christmas and winding down the year here on the blog--it's an odd juxtaposition.

Thanks to all of those who submitted lyrics in our Christmas/Chanukah Song Lyric contest. I have some definite favorites! Alison Weiss is going to be reading them over the weekend, and I will announce her winner on Monday.

Yes, I've written a couple, too. I will post mine on Monday as well. (I couldn't resist.)

I am still in the midst of sending out requests from agents for Baker's Dozen entries. If you had an entry in the auction and you don't receive another request by the end of the weekend, then it is safe to assume that none are coming. You will then be free to query anyone who bid on your item.

(Note: It makes sense to wait, because that way you're getting an official request that gets to be marked, well, "requested". And those always float to the top in an agent's inbox. Bear this in mind.)

As for me? I'm going to hit 70,000 words on my WIP today. Sounds like an almost-finished book, right? In fact, I've got my Scrivener project target set to 80,000 words, to be completed by January 1. I will definitely hit that in the next ten to twelve days...but my story won't be finished. Which is pretty frustrating, because I'm tired of this drafting thing.

I'm just letting it happen, though. I figure I'm probably just fleshing things out that will eventually be removed from the page. This isn't a bad thing! In the end, I'd rather have to cut and trim than beef up. So there's that. It's just that I was really, really hoping to have a completed draft by New Year's Day.

C'est la vie!

And, really, I'm writing this story for me. I've come to the place where, yes, I realize this is what has to happen, if I am to actually keep writing. Not to sound fatalistic, but I've stopped believing that my Big Dreams are actually going to come true. No, this isn't a feel-sorry-for-Authoress thing. It's just reality. I've had an agent for four years (as of next week), and if someone had told me that this much time would pass and I still wouldn't have a publishing contract, I probably would have jumped off the nearest overpass.

Well, not really. But I definitely would have quit.

There's been so much good--really. I wouldn't have written my currently-on-submission novel if it weren't for Josh. "You should consider writing a straight-up YA sci-fi," he said. So I did. And I honestly believe it's the strongest thing I've ever written. I completely believe in it. I've gotten positive editor responses. It's all good.

All good, but still unpublished.

And, yanno, there's only so much a gal can take.

So I'm channeling my inner writer--the one who writes simply to write. Sometimes she fights me. Sometimes her eyes tear up, and she fails to see the point of spending another hour and a half to two hours working on a story that will likely join all the other stories in the land of Stories No One Will Ever See.

But then, somehow, I always get myself together, and I write. So, yeah. This one's for me. This one's to keep me writing, to keep me going.

We do whatever we can to keep our heads afloat, yes?

So, until life actually veers me in a different, undeniable direction, I will continue to write. And I will continue to champion the rest of you who are on this journey with me.

16 comments:

Thanks so much for all you do for the community of writers, and especially for your honesty through both good times and hard times. <3 And I hope lots of good is waiting right around the corner for you!I will NOT thank you, though, for making it so that I now can't listen to Christmas music without unintentionally trying to re-write the lyrics. lol

I am also in the midst of drafting and afraid I'm not going to finish when I intend to. My Scrivener goal says 70,000. I'm at 55,000, but there seems to be much more story left than 15,000 words. It keeps taking me in different directions than I expected. Oh well. I will probably be writing after the New Year with you!

You do so much for the community, it's hard to read about your experience attempting to get published and not--yet--succeeding. I have to ask, do you ever consider this: "Hi! Can We Talk About Self-Publishing?" http://huff.to/1wdITMg

Authoress, I'm glad I found your site a couple years ago. Your post today resonates with me on many points. Just when I question why, something happens to validate this journey. No, I don't have an offer or an agent (yet) and still hope to, I've won a couple prizes and am about to have a short story published. Each little thing is worth celebrating, if only with a chocolate truffle. (My husband took me out to dinner on this latest news.) I'll keep writing regardless. It's what we do.

Thank goodness we don't have a crystal ball--I'm so happy doing what I'm doing, but I expected to be in a different place by now. There is so much we can't control in this business--I'm embracing the stuff I CAN.

I'm glad you are following your writing heart!! I guess I'm in the camp of "it all unfolds as it must." (I'm not saying that believing that makes any of this easier.)

I'm glad you're writing again. I found a story I wanted to write (although it's on hold for now) and hoped to finish by the New Year. Instead I'm co-authoring a book with a writer friend which is a lot of fun because she's all about the romance and I'm all about the dark. She reins me in when I get too dark and I rein her in when she gets too lovey-dovey. The book I'm also working on is one I may self-publish because it's a vampire cozy mystery and even though I know no one will take it on, I'm writing it because it's fun! We all have to do whatever we can to keep the writing fresh.

Thank you for sharing your writing journey with us. I am with you. Had an agent for 4 years, sold nothing, and finally decided to change things up, break-up and find a new agent. My first book with her is on submission, and as I have yet to receive "the call," my dreams of publication are slipping away. It hurts, and I keep saying I'll step back and take a break, and then I find myself sitting in front of the computer, pouring out words. That's how I know it's real. Because I'm doing it without a paycheck. So keep plugging along. You are definitely not alone.

And don't forget how much you help others! Maybe a reframe is in order: You do not have "a" publishing contract, you have hundreds of publishing contracts...because without you many would still be waiting.

I have to echo the sentiments of Neicole Crepeau. Why not take the book you are writing, the one that is just for yourself and self publish. You can use a penname if you want to maintain your anonymity.

You have the platform, and you've put in years to perfect your craft. Consider setting your stories free and look at self-publishing.

Dear Ms. Authoress, And everyone,I'm not one to give advice because I have a reverent fear of steering people wrong. But I would like to share some cold hard but uplifting truths my grandfather said to me. He learned this life lesson as he was fighting on Iwo Jima. His entire boat was killed by the Japanese when they landed on the beach.

He said that our victory depends on us not knowing how far we have left to go. If we knew how far, or short, we would have to go to win, all would perish.

I don't know if that helps, but it's helped me. I've been at the publishing process trying to write a book for two years now. I still haven't earned an agent and I get so discouraged when I see awful books getting huge deals and my books getting no where.

Keep your chin up.

Sorry for the long post. I just don't want to see you quit. I'll shut up now.

Phillip,Great words of wisdom from your grandfather. I always say I'm glad I didn't know how long this would take, or I might have never taken this road! Even though I'm not "there" yet (do we ever think we have arrived "there?"), I am grateful to be on this journey.

Thanks for all you do for other writers, Authoress. I hope your big break comes soon. Your post really resonated with me. I've been feeling a little despondent about my writing lately too so I've taken a bit of a break, but I know that come January 2015 I'll be right back into it. I could never quit because being a writer is who I am, but sometimes I don't think it hurts us to take a break, enjoy our family and friends and smell the roses. I hope that 2015 brings wonderful things for you.

I feel for you! It's hard to put yourself out there and not find the success you're seeking. I hope things come together soon. You certainly deserve it.

Regarding Baker's Dozen and bids. It's a little unclear to me. I had 2 bids, but haven't heard from you regarding the first bid. Am I to assume the low bidding agent is no longer interested? I don't mind sending her a general query, but why bother if the agent didn't ask for the pages?